Improvement in car-couplings



` Hanny WILLIAM EARL: cAnaoUPL-mc..

" 6696- mmm-Jur, '41871 PATENT EEIGE.

HENRY VVlLLIAM EARL, OF BALTIMORE,"MARYLAND,

IMPROVEMENT IN CA'R-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 116,695, dated July 4,1871.

To all whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, HENRY WILLIAM EARL, of the city of Baltimore andState of Maryland, have invented an Improved (Jar-Coupling, of which thefollowing is a speciiication The subject-matter of my invention is animproved couplin g for cars, constructed with hookshackle, adapted tocouple automatically; to couple ears of dilferent heights 5 to uncoupleonly when the cars are brought together and the hook thus released, tocouple by either head with an opposing head of common form 5 and to haveeither part removed and the other substituted therefor, if necessary, aswhen two male or two female heads are brought together by turning a car.

Figure lis a vertical longitudinal section of the adjoining ends of twofreight-cars having my improved coupling applied thereto, inillustrative manner. Fig. z is an end elevation, show'- ing the maledraw-head. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the male and femaledraw-heads removed, showing the latter in its Working and couplingpositions. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of the maledraw-head in a plane Y parallel to that of Fig. l, showing thecoupling-` hook locked a-t different elevations. Fig. 5 is a plan on areduced scale, showing the male head coupled by link t0 one of commonform.

The lines a a, Figs. 2 and 3, indicate the plane of the section shown inFig. l, and b b the plane of Fig. 4.

Like letters indicate corresponding parts in the different ligures.

The draw-heads'A B of my improved coupling I make of rectangular shape,in transverse section, and of uniform dimensions. They may be attachedby short transverse draw-bars U passing through periorations z, or bylongitudinal bars passing through longitudinal perforations y, as may bemost convenient or preferable, each bar or bolt, in either case, beinglocked by a screw-nut, x, or its equivalent. rl`hey may be supported bylateral abutments D and loops E,

as shown, or any equivalents thereof. The male head A is constructedWith three vertical longitudinal recesses, D E D', extending tothebottom and front of the heads, and having, With the exception of thecentral one, plane parallel sides. This receives the hook-shackle F, andis provided with vertical grooves in its sides to receive trunnions w,forming the pivots of the same. 'lhe outer of said recesses D receivecorresponding heads o of a slide, G, and springs li behind the same.rlhe bottoms of said recesses are closed by a plate, l, which is slottedcorrespondingly with the front end of the hook-recess lt', recessed ontop to receive the said slide Gr, provided with vertical slots toreceive stop-stud lu. projecting from the under side of said slide, andattached by bolts t. Said plate thus serves to unite and limit themotion of the parts. By detaching the same the parts may be readilyremoved. 'lhe hook F, in addition to its trunnions u, has a pair oflateral flanges, s, in line with the face of the slide G, and projectingpartially over the heads o thereof. lt is further provided With ahorizontal lia-nge or lip, v, adapted to engage under said slide or innotches g in its face, as illustrated in Fig. 4. 'lhe object of saidvertical iianges is to support the said horizontal liange and to receiveadditional notches p. Said head is also constructed With a recess in itsunder side to adapt it for its extended vertical play. The female headB, Figs. l and 3, is constructed with a vertical recess, o, spanned by abar, J, for the hook F to engage with. 'lhe outer end or' said recess ismade to correspond in general shape with the hook, being adapted toreceive the lateral lian ges `.r thereof in its extremity. lts rear endis extended and flared to provide for lateral movement and to receivethe end of the hook when the heads are brought together. For uncoupling,a vertical slide, K, Working in a suitable socket, L, and supported by aspring, M, is arranged in each platform, as indicated, and a lever, N,extended to the side of the platform, as shown, or to the top of therailing of a passenger-car, and a suitable fulcruin-support, O, for thesame, through which to operate sald shde, are arranged on each platformin proper position. Hooks S on the respective heads provide for theattachment of links Q, Fig. 5, by chains lt, to adapt the head to whichapplied to couple with another, l), of common forni.

'lo adapt the cars to couple automatically the hook F is left in theupper position, represented in Fig. 4, or with its flange s resting onthe bufferheads QJ. A pair of draw-heads being now brought together thesaid buifer-heads are forced in by the contact of the ends of the femalehead B, and the hook thus released, when it drops by gravity until itrests on the bar J, which may be above or below its plane. As the carssepa-rate, the said buier-heads v are projected by the springs H and thehook locked in position by the iiange 1" engagingunder said heads o, orin a set of the notches q in the face thereof, or by said heads engagingwith the notches p in the flanges s, acccording as the female head is ona line with, above or below, the male head, as illustrated in Fig. 4.rIhe lifting of the hook by jolting is thus eiectually prevented. Touncouple, the cars are brought together as with other couplings, so asto force in the buffer-heads fv, when, by depressing the lever N, thehook is readily lifted. To couple either head with one of common form alink, Q, is attached to its hooks S by chains R, as illustrated in Fig.5. To substitute one head for another it is only necessary to remove anut, a', or its equivalent, and withdraw a draw-bar, C, remove the headthus detached7 and apply the other by restoring the said bar and itsnut, the attachments of the platform being uniform. Should a car beturned, the consequent disarran gement may thus be readily rectified.

I claim as my inventionl. The shackle F, constructed with the flange orshoulder yr, substantially as shown, in combination with thespring-slide G engaging with said shoulder to lock the shackle againstelevation by jolting.

2. The notches p in the shackle F, in combination with the spring-slideG for locking the shackle below level, substantially as represented anddescribed.

3. The notches q in the buffer-heads c of the spring-slide G, incombination with the iiange or lip 1^ on the shackle F for locking theshackle above level, substantially as shown and set forth.

4.. The combination, with the heads A B, of a horizontalshackle-coupling of the hooks S, arranged as shown and described, toattach links Q by chains R for coupling with common heads.

To the foregoing specification of my improved car-coupling I have set myhand this 29th day of April, 1871.

HENRY EARL.

Witnesses:

Jas. L; EWIN, WM. H. BRnnEToN, Jr.

